Work Text:
bob’s your uncle (a rock and a hard place spin-off)
Jean-Pierre Monlataing widely yawned as his feet hit the ground below his bed frame. He stood up from his sitting position and stretched his arms towards space with a satisfying crack in his neck.
As he walked slowly to the kitchen, avoiding the artistic mess he created last night, he scratched his bottom from the outside of his baby blue and white striped pyjama bottoms.
It was a normal Monday morning. Just another cog in the machine.
After dressing, Jean-Pierre made his way to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie on his way to school like he did every Monday morning for his pain au chocolat and hot green tea fix. He wasn’t very fortunate like the Bourgeois family, but he made due on his art teacher salary and had enough to splurge once a week. Plus, what better way to start off the school week then to treat himself to a little breakfast and caffeine to get him through the day.
This morning, he was early, which was not so surprising, as he always got there five minutes before the patisserie opened to the public and Sabine would notice the time, coming to open early and greet the aging gentleman with the smile of an old friend.
“Jean! Nice to see you again this week. Same order, as per usual?” Sabine asked, not even waiting for Jean to follow, just assuming he was right behind her.
Jean chuckled, some things never changed. “But of course. Where else would I find the best chocolate croissants in all of Paris?”
“Stop, you,” she giggled. Then shouted towards the back. “Tom, it’s Monday!”
Said baker emerged with a tray of fresh croissants from behind the curtain that separated the counter and dining space from the kitchen.
“Ah, there’s my favourite customer,” Tom Dupain welcomed. “Pain au chocolat, made fresh, just for you…” Tom teased the older gentleman gently.
Jean smiled politely, “Yes, you always seem to make them fresh on Mondays.”
After paying, and settling at a nearby table placed outside, the older art teacher sighed, trying to soak as much of the Parisian sun as possible before he had to head off to his first class of the day.
The square was already pretty busy that morning, considering most shops just opened only a few moments ago. But then again, in the heart of Paris, the streets were always bustling with people intermingling their lives into a background character of someone else’s story.
Jean enjoyed his croissant, savouring the sweetness mixed with the flakes of butter-crust that melted into his taste buds. He noticed a young class of lost looking tourists and made a mental note that they must be the Gotham exchange students all of the teachers were briefed on.
The older man paid no mind to the teens yet, since he was enjoying the day thus far and just wanted to relax before classes started.
One of the students pointed towards a nearby square, their voice a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "Is that a man with an army of pigeons?!" they exclaimed, their eyes wide with astonishment.
But of course… of course the evil man in the mask, Hawkmoth, had to rain on everyone’s parade for the beautiful, sunny day.
As a lower level akuma, Jean paid Monsieur Pigeon no mind, sipping his tea with his left hand and continuing to read the news paper he had in his right.
Ladybug and Chat Noir made quick work of the akuma, as per usual. Monsieur Ramier was harmless, if a little too fanatic about his pigeon friends, but his heart was in the right place and as long as Ladybug and Chat Noir were around, he would be fine.
Jean finished his now cold tea and checked his watched, making his way to Françoise Dupont. Right on schedule for classes to begin.
Just another cog in the machine…